CHAPTER 703: MOBILIZATION

Hu Jian received Wang Hong's black blade, naturally aware of

Hu Jian received Wang Hong's black blade, naturally aware of its lethality, as Wang Hong had always fought with this black blade, countless formidable enemies meeting their end beneath its edge.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's trust. I assure you, this expedition will not tarnish the reputation of our Great Chu Immortal Nation."

After bowing to Wang Hong, Hu Jian led an army of twenty thousand under the banner of the Great Chu Immortal Nation, departing from Qizhou Island towards the direction of the Desolate Spirit Sea.

On the central island of the Desolate Spirit Sea, a massive stone wall had vanished, replaced by a grand gateway from which numerous humanoid creatures with grey skin emerged.

They hailed from another world, possessing their own unique language and a cultivation system distinct from this realm.

Even the weapons they wielded differed greatly from those of the Little Yuan Realm.

Their weapons resembled fruits plucked from trees; some looked like elongated cucumbers, while others resembled large pumpkins still attached to their vines.

Though their shapes varied, these weapons all exuded a sense of weightiness, appearing formidable.

Countless grey-skinned savage tribes poured out from the passageway, continuously expanding outward from the Desolate Spirit Sea.

In response, the Human-Demon Alliance organized a sizable force to defend the outskirts of the Desolate Spirit Sea, engaging in numerous battles against the savage tribes.

By now, both sides were well acquainted with their respective enemies.

At this moment, a dozen or so members of the Demon Clan were patrolling a stretch of sea when they suddenly felt a transparent ripple in the surrounding air, closing in on them.

"Enemy attack! Be on guard!" shouted a four-tier Demonic Beast with large ears, leading the group.

At that instant, the transparent ripple had approached them, revealing a large group of grey savage tribes within, wielding their weapons and descending upon the dozen or so Demonic Beasts.

Reacting swiftly, the Demonic Beasts unleashed their powers, hurling them towards the savage tribes.

Without any preamble or hesitation, the two sides engaged in fierce combat upon contact.

The Demon Clan patrol was vastly outnumbered by the intentionally ambushing savage tribes, leading to a significant gap in strength between the two sides.

Many of the techniques employed by the Demon Clan barely scratched the grey-skinned savage tribes, causing only minor wounds that hardly required treatment.

Realizing the dire situation, the Demon Clan members understood that they were outmatched, as their opponents possessed physical prowess far surpassing their own.

The battle quickly turned against them, with most of the Demon Clan's Demonic Beasts sustaining heavy casualties within moments.

"Hold on a little longer; reinforcements will arrive soon." The leading Demonic Beast, still alive, encouraged the remaining members of the Demon Clan.

These patrol teams maintained close proximity to one another and could send messages back for more reinforcements.

Soon, two more patrol teams rushed to their aid, joining the fray, while the savage tribes bolstered their numbers once more.

The Human-Demon Alliance swiftly dispatched reinforcements into the battle.

What began as a minor skirmish escalated as both sides poured more troops into the fray, gradually intensifying the conflict.

As Hu Jian led the army of the Great Chu Immortal Nation to report for duty, a senior member of the Human Clan, upon seeing this distinctive force, welcomed them eagerly and promptly deployed them to the battlefield.

On the battlefield, the Human-Demon Alliance and the savage tribes were locked in a stalemate, with both sides continuously gaining and losing ground, accompanied by casualties and retreats.

The initial groups that engaged in combat had already perished, and suddenly, a new force burst into the battlefield.

This force of twenty thousand soldiers was clad in black heavy armor, wielding large shields, long spears, and broadswords, with some soldiers carrying bundles of short spears on their backs.

"Great Chu Immortal Nation, is this the recently emerged force?" observed a Cultivator amidst the ongoing battle, recognizing them.

"I wonder about their strength and whether they can turn the tide. Otherwise, they'll be drawn into this battle and meet the same fate," another remarked.

Without Spiritual Power to control the turbulent currents, those drawn into this battle would inevitably perish without a trace, not even leaving bones behind.

This battle had raged for several days, swallowing several forces of similar size, without a splash.

"This force seems peculiar, less like Immortal Cultivators and more like a well-trained army," someone noted, observing the unconventional tactics.

In the world of cultivation, armies were almost non-existent due to their rigorous training methods, deterring most Immortal Cultivators from joining due to strict discipline.

Military ideology differed significantly from the cultivation philosophy, where cultivators sought longevity, freedom, and unrestrained exploration of the world.

Only the Great Chu Immortal Nation indoctrinated its citizens from childhood, fostering acceptance of its institutional system.

"Qizhou Island seems to be immensely wealthy!" remarked a Cultivator, eyeing Hu Jian and his twenty thousand soldiers, all clad in uniform black armor and armed with identical weapons.

The resources required to outfit twenty thousand soldiers in such gear were considerable.

At that moment, the twenty thousand troops of the Great Chu Immortal Nation charged into the battlefield, unlike the previous engagements of the Demon Clan or the Human Clan, which primarily relied on individual combat or limited cooperation, their coordination being limited to small groups of three or two, lacking substantial power.

Coordinating tens of thousands of people to move in harmony, advancing and retreating with precision, was no easy feat.

The troops of the Great Chu Immortal Nation surged into the battlefield in orderly fashion, swiftly carving out a secure zone within.

Many savage tribes rushed towards them, only to be impaled by countless spears before they could even draw near.

The few who managed to approach were swiftly dispatched by the soldiers wielding long spears.

Assisted by the troops of the Great Chu Immortal Nation, some Demon Clan members and Cultivators previously embroiled in combat began to converge on them, then surged towards the nearby savage tribes.

It seemed that the army of the Great Chu Immortal Nation was the bane of the savage tribes; previously impervious to conventional attacks, these tribes had inflicted significant casualties upon the Human-Demon Alliance cultivators.

However, with the arrival of the five formidable warriors from the Great Chu Immortal Nation wielding their black blades, the tide of battle turned swiftly in favor of the Human Clan.

And as the advantage continued to widen, after another day of fighting, the Human-Demon Alliance finally emerged victorious from the battle.

No one opposed Wang Hong's final decision.[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]